The Psalms - The Language of Our Faith
Psalm 46 - Fear and Greedy Monkeys
March 11, 2018
Psalms 46:1-3 NIV
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
This is intense language! Mountains don't fall into the sea! Life can feel chaotic, though.
Grandmother - We find out what's filling our cup when it's tipped over.
How do you respond when the world is shaking? There is a difference between being afraid and being fearful.
Being afraid is human.
Fear tells us we're in danger. Healthy doses of fear can keep us safe.
Being fearful is crippling.
" "Fear not" is most common command in Scripture. "Fear God" is second.
" Throughout the Scriptures, God was constantly reminding His people to not be afraid.
Fear causes us to imagine things that are not real.
We'll always regret the decisions we make from fear.
We'll be remembered for the decisions we make from faith.
Satan's greatest weapon is a bluff.
Psalms 46:10-11 NIV
"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." 11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."
Be still - Let go - to relax your grip on something - to unclench your fists and stop struggling
Let Go and Let God
Story of trapping Monkeys with Coconuts
" The hardest part of parenting is not when the kids are at home; I believe it is most difficult when they leave the home for the first time.
" It is in that period when they will most likely choose a spouse, a career and decide for themselves whether to follow Christ.
" As parents, we must allow them to be independent, while praying that your children will acknowledge you and ask for help.
" We cannot impose our advice upon them, but hopefully, we have enough relational equity with them that they will ask for help.
" The same is true for the greatest parent who has ever existed. He has given us free will to make our own choices, but He sure hopes we will ask Him for help.
We can hold on to our fear or hang on to our faith!
The Table:
2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
